Wednesday is biggest bar night of the year  and police will be watching roads

The night before Thanksgiving is regarded as the biggest bar night of the year.

“It’s a fun night, a giant party here,” said Matt Zakalan, manager of Rochester Mills Beer Co. microbrewery. Most bars in the area expect big crowds as college students, home for Thanksgiving, head out to see friends.

To promote traffic safety during the entire Thanksgiving holiday weekend, additional area law enforcement will be out patrolling starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Michigan State Police troopers will be focusing on traffic safety violations such as speeding, impaired driving and safety belt violations, as well as drunken drivers.

In 2012, 14 Oakland County residents died in alcohol-related accidents during the year, and 54 people died in all accidents.

The Michigan State Police will be taking part in the nationwide traffic safety initiative, Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) which covers all 50 states and parts of Canada,

“By increasing patrols and focusing on traffic safety, we hope to reduce the number of traffic crashes and fatalities during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” stated Lt. Michael Shaw, Second District public information officer.

SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, is urging people to enjoy the holiday, but emphasizes alcohol is a significant factor in holiday deaths.

Impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime, randomly killing someone in the U.S. every 52 minutes, and the majority of holiday crashes occur on the days leading up to major holidays, according to SEMCOG.

Crashes involving drinking tend to be more serious than non-drinking crashes. In Southeast Michigan, a fatality in a crash is nine times more likely when alcohol is involved, officials said.

In Southeast Michigan, alcohol was involved in 26 percent of all traffic deaths in 2012, said SEMCOG. Alcohol was a factor in 92 fatalities and over 2,300 injuries in 2012. The year before, there were 108 fatalities.

In Michigan, alcohol was involved in 30 percent of all fatal crashes in 2012. Alcohol-related crashes resulted in 281 deaths.

“We, at SEMCOG, hope that these facts heighten the awareness of drivers to be extremely cautious during the holiday season and all year,” said Paul Tait, SEMCOG executive director. “Holidays are the special time to celebrate with friends and family, but we want everyone to do it responsibly. Our message is three-fold — drive safe, drive sober, and drive buckled up.”